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"We've had discussion about it," Baker said Tuesday before the Reds' 4-2 loss to the New York Mets. "We still haven't decided. There are a lot of variables, a lot of things we have to decide."

Baker knows if it's put up to a fan vote, Hamilton is on the roster.

"Billy is the topic of the day, Baker said. "They're selling T-shirts."

The Reds tend not to jump the gun on announcing such moves. Remember, the Reds did not say Hamilton was coming up in September until the day before he was added to the roster.

"It's 'Is Billy ready to handle that pressure?'" Baker said. "It's not only base-running. Is he ready to come off the bench and get some hits? There's a lot of factors."

Hamilton has had a huge impact in a short time with the Reds. Going into Tuesday, he had scored nine runs and stolen 13 bases in 13 attempts. He also was hitting .429 (6-for-14) with a .500 on-base percentage.

"He's brought excitement," Baker said. "He's brought speed. He's brought youth. I had to fight for him to get here. People say: Why isn't he playing? It was a struggle to get him here. I'm glad we got him. He's a fine young man. I don't think he's overwhelmed."

If Hamilton is overwhelmed by anything, it's the attention he's gotten.

"I was expecting to get called up and not play that much," Hamilton said. "I wasn't expecting this. It's been a crazy two weeks for me."

Hamilton isn't complaining and doesn't want the buzz he's created to die down.

"I hope not. I love it the way it is," Hamilton said. "I can live with this."